Superintendent outlines areas of major focus for 2010-11
Posted: August 30, 2010
Despite difficult financial times, the work of strengthening the district and building programs must continue, Superintendent Michael Tebbano told district administrators and supervisors at a late summer planning meeting.
Among major areas of focus for the year Dr. Tebbano listed were increasing the rigor and relevance of student work in all subject areas, particularly math and English; continuing to build a supportive learning environment free of bullying and harassment; accelerating the use of technology as a powerful learning tool; and continuing to control costs and operate as efficiently as possible.
"Every new school year brings a new opportunity to refocus our energies on strengthening this excellent school district," the superintendent said. "I have every confidence that we will continue to offer a high quality program to all students. These are a few areas where I wanted to encourage our administrators and educational leaders to take a close look and think about what we are doing to take big steps forward.”
The summer planning meeting was held on August 24 at the district offices.
Dr. Tebbano has stressed that the district has focused on these priorities for a number of years, and wanted to let the community know the following about each area:
• Academic rigor and relevance: The district has new subject supervisors in ELA and math, two areas where the state recently adjusted its testing scores in an effort to raise student achievement in this area. Yet, regardless of state development, Dr. Tebbano said that BC must ensure all students are challenged to grow academically and complete coursework that is relevant to the world around them.
• Technology: The district has made significant strides in the access students have to technology and its use by teachers as a learning tool. Dr. Tebbano said the district must accelerate its move in this direction, and will continue to work to continue to build teachers' skills and students' access to equipment and software. "We live in a world that is increasingly dominated by technology,” he said. “It’s not optional to ensure students are familiar with the tools and the language of this world.”
• Bullying/Cyberbullying: Efforts to help students identify and stem incidences of bullying - as well as to promote character development - have been underway around the district. BC will build on these initiatives, and do more to let parents and community members know about them. In addition, two events on these topics are scheduled for October. The first is an Oct. 5 panel discussion on cyberbullying for all parents and community members at 7 p.m. in the BCHS auditorium; the second is an Oct. 21 presentation with bestselling author Jodee Blanco, also at 7 p.m. in the BCHS auditorium.
• Fiscal responsibility: In terms of the fiscal climate, Dr. Tebbano noted that economic forecasts do not promise a better outlook for school districts in the near future. For this reason, the Board of Education has convened a community "Budget Think Tank" to begin meeting this fall to develop potential short- and long-term steps the district can take to help address budget challenges.
"The important thing to remember is that just because the economic terrain is tough right now, we must continue to forge on the path to a stronger district for all students," he said.